The Bailey Pond Trail in New Boston, New Hampshire is an easy 2-mile loop trail that passes Bailey Pond and summits Hopper Hill with a vista point.
Trail Name: Bailey Pond Trail.
Location: Bailey Pond Road, New Boston NH.
Warning: This is a multi-use area and there were no signs prohibiting hunting or posted signs seen along the hike. If using the trail during hunting season, it’s a good idea to use caution and wear hunter orange or some other brightly colored garment to distinguish yourself from prey.
Allowed activities: hiking, birding, hunting, fishing, geocaching, picnicking, nature study, kayaking, canoeing, horseback riding, and mountain biking, snow shoeing.
Forbidden activities: no fires, no littering.
Hours: There are no signs posted concerning trail hours or closures.
Parking and fees: There is parking alongside the dirt road at trailhead. There are no fees to park, use the pond or the trail.
Pets: Dogs are permitted. Please be considerate of your fellow hikers and remove any dog waste.
Accessibility: This trail is not advisable for those who use either a wheelchair or need use of a stroller.
Sanitation: There are no restrooms or trash bins at the parking trail head or along the trail. Please carry out all waste.
Trail information: There is no information kiosk at the parking area, just a couple of signs posted on a utility pole: one is about water hazards and invasive water plants and the other is about public use of the land. There is no map of the Bailey Pond Trail but the trail is extremely well marked. The trail blaze markers for the Bailey Pond Trail are either a blue rectangle or a white diamond with a blue circle surrounding a white dot in the middle. The trail is very well marked and is easy to follow even when the path is covered with autumn leaves.
Length and features: This hike was an easy 2 mile long hike, done
as a loop. This is a short but beautiful
hike through a mixed forest of Hemlock, White Pine, Birch, Beech, Maple and Ash
with intermittent views of Bailey Pond. Bailey Pond is a good size pond, about 18 acres in size.
The terrain along the trail is easy on the
feet, not very rocky with very few tree roots to cause stumbling. There is only
one section in the beginning of the hike, where the trail travels along a side
of a hill that is narrow and steep, but otherwise hikers don’t really
have to be overly cautious about every step or foot placement to avoid trip
hazards. This easy substrate gives
hikers a chance to look around at the forest, look for birds, forage for
mushrooms or catch glimpses of Bailey Pond. Any hikers looking for some added fun will be
glad to know that there are currently two very easy to find and well maintained
geocaches along this hike.
When the trail veers away from the pond it becomes a bit wider and hikers can easily hike side by side. There are some changes in elevation but they are gradual and mild. There are several areas where sturdy wooden bridges have been installed to help hikers cross over any muddy or wet areas. A surprise to see along the Bailey Pond Trail is an abandoned ski tow shed that was once part of the Hooper Hill Ski area. On the shed is a wooden sign that reads “Toll Road West”. There are still pulleys and ropes that were used to pull the skiers up the hill. Another surprise just past the ski tow shed, hikers will find a very nice screened wooden gazebo. The gazebo is unlocked and has a bench inside: a nice place to have a picnic and be protected from the weather and mosquitos or black flies. The view is pretty nice from this spot too, especially in the fall with the leaves in autumnal splendor.
After passing the old Ski house and gazebo the trail descends quickly. The trail is wide here, and the terrain is not hard to navigate, there are no rocks or roots to worry about, but the trail is rather steep. If visiting in the fall, the trail will likely be leaf strewn and if also wet will be slippery. It is easy to imagine this as ski area with wide trails off to the sides still visible.
Continuing along the Bailey Pond Trail with its blue trail blaze markers, hikers will come to a fork where Orange trail blaze markers can be seen to the right. This unnamed orange trail parallels the Bailey Pond trail and brings the hiker closer to the pond, but ultimately rejoins the Bailey Pond Trail further up. For this hike, we kept to the Blue marked trail to the left. The trail continues through the woods and curves back around to guide the hiker to the exit of the woods onto Bailey Pond Road. Turning to the right and following the Blue markers will lead hikers back to the pond and trailhead to where they have parked.
In summary, Bailey Pond Trail is very easy to navigate trail located in a beautiful forest with a lovely pond making for a very pleasant place to spend an afternoon hike.
